Alessondra Springmann

Planetary Radar Astronomer

Alessondra Springmann, better known as Sondy, is a rocket scientist studying asteroids and comets at the University of Arizona's Lunar & Planetary Laboratory in Tucson, Arizona. She investigated thermal properties of meteorite analogues for NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, which launched September 8, 2016 to near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu.

Sondy is now part of a sounding rocket campaign to measure flow velocities in the interstellar medium and inner coma properties of comets. Her past work includes two years of asteroid and comet radar observations at Arecibo Observatory, National Astronomy & Ionosphere Center, Arecibo, Puerto Rico, research at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency in Tokyo, Japan, and a master's degree in Earth & Planetary Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Alessondra is an award-winning public speaker. She also herds cats and advocates for equity issues in astronomy and science.